Inside the Newhouse Startup Garage, where students turn ideas into reality

A dry-erase marker squeaks against the whiteboard of the new Startup Garage at the Newhouse School, where a group of students huddle together, adjusting the timing on a video reel for a startup’s TikTok campaign. A classmate beside them scrolls through analytics, noting which posts have the highest engagement.

Located in room 220 of Newhouse 1, the Garage is a newly launched co-working space where students work with media entrepreneurs, refine their ideas and take projects beyond the classroom.

Unlike a traditional classroom, the Garage is a place for ongoing experimentation. It provides a space where students can test ideas and connect with digital media professionals. Students drop in throughout the week to refine content strategies and workshop branding ideas, as well as connect with faculty and industry mentors.

For Nick Moscatiello and his team at Project Freefall, the Garage has been essential in turning their passion for music content into a rapidly growing digital media business.

“We were sophomores without a specific idea, just making content for fun,” Moscatiello said. “Then, we met Professor Branagan, who gave us advice and invited us to use the Garage. Back then, it was just a small space, but it gave us a starting point.”

Project Freefall, which started with just two students, has since expanded into a full content production team, creating social media campaigns, concert recaps and branding for artists like Machine Gun Kelly, NLE Choppa and Joe Jonas.

One of their biggest projects included directing content for Amazon Music’s collaboration with Formula One and Benson Boone, where they produced both long-form vlogs and short-form content. They’ve also worked on campaigns for Ray-Ban’s Meta Smart Glasses and Joe Jonas’ Goat Yoga event.

“We’ve generated over half a billion views across all platforms and helped clients gain 2.5 million new followers,” Moscatiello said. “The biggest challenge has been balancing school with these work opportunities, but the Startup Garage has been a huge help in making things happen.”

Having access to the Garage has allowed Project Freefall to scale its operations.

“Now that there’s an expanded and renovated space, we meet here and grab lunch several times a week, just planning our next moves,” Moscatiello said. “It’s given us an actual home base for our content work.”

Currently, the team is focused on building their website and expanding content campaigns for music artists across the country.

The Garage itself wasn’t always this active. It started as a cramped workspace in a small classroom before expanding this semester into a fully equipped co-working space for media-focused entrepreneurs.

Sean Branagan, director of the Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship at Newhouse, believes that many students get stuck at the idea stage when working on a start-up.

“Too many students hesitate to start because they think they need a perfect plan,” Branagan said. “But speed is the biggest advantage small ventures have — move fast, test ideas and learn as you go.”

Branagan has spent years mentoring students who are interested in media entrepreneurship. He said the goal of the Garage isn’t just to provide a physical space but to develop a mindset — one where students take risks, adapt quickly and experiment with creative projects.

While business schools focus on structured entrepreneurship programs, Branagan said that the Garage takes a different approach, one tailored to creative industries like journalism, advertising and digital media.

“Our focus is on a creator-driven model,” he said. “Students here don’t just build startups — they learn to think like entrepreneurs, a skill that will serve them in any career path.”

Beyond student-led startups, the Garage also connects students with real-world industry experience through the Co-op Internship Program, which partners with South By Southwest, Black Cub Productions, and Home From College to provide internship opportunities for students.

For Victoria Wyffels, a graduate student in arts journalism and communications, the Garage is more than just a workspace — it’s a place where ideas evolve in ways students might not have anticipated when they first walked in.

“It’s become a space where people just bounce ideas off each other, and suddenly something clicks,” Wyffels said. “It’s not just about starting a business, it’s about learning how to think differently.”

Branagan sees the Garage as an evolving space, one that will continue to shift depending on the needs of students and industry trends.

The Startup Garage is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., welcoming students who are curious about media entrepreneurship. Whether they are refining a business idea, launching a creative project or simply looking for collaborators, the Garage is there to help turn ideas into reality.